Spartina bakeri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Culms erect; 100–200 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–2 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–16; borne along a central axis; appressed; unilateral; 2–6 cm long; bearing 10–30 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 8–25 cm long. Rhachis angular; smooth on margins, or scabrous on margins; glabrous on margins; terminating in a spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–9 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume linear; 3–6 mm long; 0.33 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliolate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–9 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3–4 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume lateral veins prominent (on one side). Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4–7 mm long; herbaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea 2 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Mobberley 1993.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.